MARINE LE PEN SUGGESTS AN ALLIANCE WITH GEERT WILDERS

The younger Le Pen, who's certainly better in some respects than her awful father, has suggested aligning with Wilders in coming European elections:

Le Pen said in an interview with the NRC on Saturday that she could see merit in such a campaign. ‘It is important that voters see we are not alone, and that there are similar patriotic movements in every EU country,’ she said.

Le Pen said she and Wilders differ in their approach to Islam. ‘I am against the visibility of Islam in society. We have a tradition of a strict division between church and state so I think religious symbolism has no place in the street. But I have nothing against Islam per se.' Wilders regards Islam as a backward religion and has likened the Koran to Hitler's Mein Kampf.

There is a weakness in her argument: even if religious symbolism weren't visible in the streets per se, the danger of jihad would be lurking in the shadows. It's not just repellent ideas like Muslim veils that are a problem, but also the violence that's part and parcel with the Koran. That's something Le Pen would do well to research and ponder, if she really wants to make a good impact.

And like Wilders, she'd do well to refrain from making statements that could alienate potential allies. The anti-jihad movement needs all the help it can get from people with common sense values.